Emily's POV
We walked in silence, further into the jungle.
The two boys behind me held a firm grip on my wrists making sure that I couldn't escape. With each step, we took everything around us seemed to get darker. The trees grew taller and thicker surrounding us in shadows. Sounds of different animals filled my ears as we walked along the narrow path. It almost feels as if the animals inside of this place were watching our every move, ready to attack, not taking their eyes off of us.
I want to kick these guys so bad, fight them until I couldn't stand anymore and escape but I have absolutely no energy to do so. I stayed silent and continued walking in between the other boys.
Finally, we reached an opening in the jungle. The boys stopped in their tracks causing me to bump into the back of the tall boy who kept his hood on. He slowly turned around then looked down at me. I still couldn't see his face, his hood was covering most of his features. He smirked before swinging his massive wooden club back on his shoulder and faced the two boys who are still holding my arms down.
"Well, what are you waiting for, bring the cage down!" He ordered loudly.
The younger boys quickly scurried off to a wide tree with a pulley on it. They both yanked the handle down and looked up. I watched with horror as a wooden bamboo cage came rolling down from the treetops.
"Oh and think about running and it will be the last thing you ever do," he spoke.
The boy readjusted the club on his shoulder, his grip tightening around the bottom. I swallowed the lump in my throat as my hands started to shake. The thought of running would be useless and dangerous. The cage stopped just above the ground but just enough to hover. I heard somethings rattling inside as the cage stopped moving.
"If you think I'm getting in there you're sick!" I said, slowly pacing back from the tall boy.
He narrowed his eyes and two familiar pairs of hands grabbed my arms again.
"Let go of me!" I yelled at them trying to throw kicks and punches.
"You know it really is simple," The taller boy sighed, swinging the wooden club off his shoulder and holding it in front of my chest, "You get in that cage and go through with your punishment or do I need to clean the blood off of my beautiful instrument," He said running his hand down the side of the club.
My eyes widened in shock as the words left his mouth. I slowly stopped fighting the other boys and looked at the ground.
"Good choice," He said before walking over to the cage and opening the door.
There were lines of bamboo covering the whole cage with a pair of handcuffs chained into the left side.
"In you go,"
He stood back, letting the two boys chuck me into the cage.
I groaned as I landed on my side. I was definitely going to feel that in the morning. One of the boys jumped into the cage. He looked worried but gave me a quick smile before grabbing the chains and clamping them down against my already swollen wrists. I flinched when the chain rubbed against my skin. He mouthed a quick sorry before jumping back out, closing the door and locking it shut. I could just see their faces as all three of them backed away from the cage, their backs facing me.
"William, you'll be on guard tonight," The taller boy spoke.
William nodded his head before the older boy faced towards me.
"Sleep tight," He said sarcastically before walking into the jungles fog with the other boy.
It started to get dark really quickly. The tall trees grew shadows as night fell. William started to walk in between the trees that surrounded the small opening collecting dry branches.
I thought back to the moment when he put the chains around my wrists and said sorry. My chest began to raise as I heard noises in the distance. My eyes could only just see that it was William grabbing and tossing sticks into the bush. I could tell he was planing on making a fire. I just hoped he wasn't planning on cooking me.
I sat back, my head leaning against the hard bamboo. I still can't believe I'm stuck in 'Neverland' with 'Peter Pan' and the 'lost boys'.
I think I'm losing my mind.
I swear if Tinker Bell comes flying around I'm going to lose it.
They are all just stories after all.
"Emily" I heard a small voice speak in front of me.
I slightly opened my eyes to see William on the other side.
Why is he talking to me?
I looked around and groaned. I am still in this bloody cage, handcuffed to bamboo, guarded by boys, that are ruled by one boy, who is a complete maniac and thinks he is Peter Pan.
How is this not a dream?
I rubbed my eyes before looking at the boy on the other side of the cage.
"What do you want," I grumbled back in annoyance.
"I just want to talk," he replied looking through the bars of bamboo. His tone of voice was different from the others. It had a softer sound to it. But I'm not trusting anyone at the moment.
"Well forget it. I'm not talking to anyone until I'm out of this cage," I said moving back more into the hard surface.
"If I let you out, will you promise me you won't run away," he asked, grabbing a key from inside his pocket.
He shined it in the moonlight, it's small silver shape glowed in the light. I grabbed the bars in front of him and put my face in between the bars of bamboo.
"Please let me out," I begged.
William's POV
Emily quickly crawled to the front of the cage, gripping the bamboo with her pale hands. She looked desperately at the key. I could see in her eyes that she was frightened and confused. I had to at least explain to her what was going on.
"Please let me out," She begged, her eyes staring straight at me.
I'm totally going to be dead if Felix catches me. It would be even worse if Pan knew what I was about to do. I knew the consequences that came with breaking his rules but she's different. No one has ever been thrown in the cage as soon as they set foot on the island. She was the first.
I put the key into the lock and opened the door. I reached my hand in and unlocked the handcuffs from the cage but not her hands. I couldn't risk her running away. And most of all I didn't want to see her getting hurt by Pan.
She climbed out of the cage, her legs wobbling a bit because of the lack of energy. I grabbed her arm trying to steady her but she pulled away and held her arms together.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you," I said trying to sound calm enough for her to try and trust me.
She looked up at me before looking back down at the chains on her arms.
"Come sit, it's warmer here," I gestured over to the large log next to the fire.
She slowly walked and sat on the log beside me, still keeping her distance.
"So what is this place?" She asked, obviously still not believing.
"Neverland," I replied looking at the yellow and orange flames.
"Seriously?" She sighed taking out a long breath, "Let me guess, it's where children never grow up or grow old and you meet Peter Pan who teaches you how to fly," She replied in a dull and sarcastic tone.
"That's not exactly right. But you have heard of it."
She turned and faced me confused and a little bit irritated.
Emily's POV:
"What do you mean not exactly right," I asked in frustration.
"It isn't what you think," he said with a straight face as he stared into the flames, "You should never have come here," he replied picking up a stick and adjusting the burnt wood.
I tried to think back to how I got here but every time I did it just turns into a big blur.
"I can't even remember how I got here."
He looked at me then back at the fire.
"The shadow."
Then it hit me, I remembered running away and then that black figure taking me into the sky.
"Wait, Pan's shadow, as in Peter Pan. The boy who put me in this stupid cage!" I exclaimed, rattling the shackles of my handcuffs.
"Breaking Pan's rules would not be wise. Unless you have a death wish," William replied in a slightly angered tone.
"What rules?" I asked the brown haired boy as he kept poking at the fire.
"Firstly, never call him Peter it is always Pan. Secondly, the taller boy who carries the wooden club is Felix, he's Pan's head lost boy, he orders us around when Pan away from campus."
I wondered what he meant but I didn't want to ask any more questions. This was probably going to be the only information I'll get.
"We train and hunt, day and night. If you miss a session without Pan's permission you get put in the cage," he continued, "If you break Pan's rules there will be far worse consequences. You could end up in a life or death situation if you're not careful," He warned.
My eyes widened as I looked down at my swollen red wrists, the metal rubbing against my skin as I moved. If Pan's rules were life or death then I have to find a way to escape off this island.
It was as if William read my mind.
"I know you're probably wanting to escape this island sooner or later but it can't be done. Trust me I've tried," he said looking out into the forest.
There was a moment of silence before he cleared his throat and went on.
"This island belongs to Pan, his power alone is enough to protect us but if you turn against him he will use that power on you."
He removed the stick out of the fire and turned the burnt part into the ground.
"Power?" I wondered looking at the dirt covering parts of his face
"He has magic, magic that comes from deep within the island."
Of course, he does.
I looked back down towards the flames. I didn't want to believe it but I could see it on William's face, a knowing look that he had seen this all happen before.
The two of us flinched as yelling and howling suddenly erupted from the trees in the distance. William shot up quickly, pulling my chains along with him. My already swollen wrists pulled with it causing a burning sensation to hit my skin, the pain shooting up through my arms.
"Go easy on the pulling would you!"
William suddenly stopped, his face running cold as he saw movement in the trees ahead. He grabbed my arm pulling me in the direction of the cage.
"Quick get in!"
I scrambled in and he shut the door behind me, quickly locking it. His expression caused my stomach to turn uncomfortably.
"Who's coming?!" I slightly yelled at him making him turn around and face me.
"Pan."